1. Field of the Invention
An image forming apparatus and method consistent with the present general inventive concept relates to an image process of a file according to an index information appended to the file.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, an image forming apparatus materializes a file on a paper according to an out signal supplied from a host. These image forming apparatuses usually include a scanner reading a document to generate an image file, a fax part transmitting a file to a receiving fax, an e-mail transmitting part transmitting a file to an e-mail address of a receiver, and an image forming part outputting a file to a paper.
Recently, as related technologies have developed, these image forming apparatuses have been coupled with a portable host apparatus to directly transmit and receive an image file. Especially, as a photography technology of a portable digital camera and mobile phone has developed and applications thereof have been extended, it becomes more frequent that a user directly outputs a picture image file taken through the user's own image forming apparatus.
The conventional image forming apparatus materializes an image file on a paper according to selection of a user. However, in the conventional image forming apparatus such as described above, it is difficult for a user to variously select an output according to contents contained in the image file. For example, if three persons A, B and C travel together and take five pictures, a user should output the pictures onto paper to correspond to the number of persons contained in each picture, and distribute the output pictures to each of the persons. If one person A among the number of persons wants to receive a picture containing A by his or her e-mail address, the user should transmit the picture containing A by e-mail through a separate host apparatus, or the user should scan the picture to generate an image file, and then transmit the generated image file by e-mail.